With a mere nine people playing the sport on a regular basis, there wasn't even a team to represent the area.

Today, from the age of ten all the way through to adulthood, Spalding boasts one of the region's strongest teams.

It all began when, in partnership with the Lincolnshire Youth Service, Spalding Youth Volleyball club was set up.

With head coach Tim Barzycki proving influential by using contacts at Spalding Youth Centre to encourage additional young people to take part, Spalding Saracens were born.

A mixture of all ages, the Saracens went on to represent Spalding in all kinds of different environments, including RAF camps and prisons.

A measure of how much things had improved came when a Lincolnshire Under-17 girls' team, representing the East Midlands, fielded five Saracens players.

After becoming the first volleyball club in the country to achieve a Sports UK Clubmark award, Spalding Youth Volleyball then won the prestigious Lincolnshire Sports Partnership Community Club of the Year award in 2004.

Now more a family than a team, all the young Saracens are on the management committee of the club and former players Alan Davis and Brendan Taylor manage the adult team.

The youth system continues to prosper with 14-year-old Sam Cowlen chosen to play for England and two others captaining their region this year.

With Spalding Junior Volleyball (ages ten-12 years) and Spalding Youth Volleyball (ages 12-18), run by EVA qualifed coaches, the future is bright for the Saracens.